With VR imagine being able to strap on one of the many VR headsets / phone onto your head and walk around a virtual rollcage to get a real sense of scale proportions!

With augmented reality, imagine being able to stand in front of your truck/buggy/utv, turn on your cell or tablet camera, touch a couple locating points on the screen, and then see your bend tech assembly laid out right onto the image as you walk around the vehicle. How cool would that be?

I've been working after-hours on this idea for a few weeks with a co-worker, developing a presentation to convince Cris that virtual reality and augmented reality should be incorporated in our software. I took a 3D model of an early version of our Bend-Tech Dragon and converted it into the appropriate file format, imported the 3D model to IrisVR (https://irisvr.com/), and viewed it on an Oculus Rift (https://www.oculus.com/rift/). I wanted to take something familiar to Cris (the Dragon) and present it to him in virtual reality. I have a few short videos of our experiment here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...8vDfcpaLKZwJhR

I don't have any mockups of menus or the VR environment itself, but look to Google's Tilt Brush for a rough idea as to how the VR software would function: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TckqNdrdbgk It's incredibly easy to design and manipulate objects in VR, probably moreso than your standard CAD software - you're viewing the project with your innate perception instead of interpreting a 3D object on a 2D monitor. Here's an example of Augmented Reality (AR): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbE-9xajMGQ I could see this being especially useful when used in junction with Assembly, and the various modules. Imagine seeing how well your rollcage, header, or exhaust will fit in your vehicle before cutting or bending a single part. You can design a handrail and "try it on" to better determine if that style suits you. With a 3D model of an assembly or a part then you would only need an app on your phone to view the object in augmented reality. You wouldn't have to haul a laptop and VR headset to a jobsite.

We've already told everyone in the office about the experiment, so I don't need to post any spoiler alerts for Cris. My coworker and I plan on bringing the Oculus Rift into our new office once everyone is moved in so that everyone can enjoy the official presentation. If it all goes well then you might see a VR module in the future.

I saw your email and will definitely call you on it. To be clear I don't really think I have bend tech issue but a fabrication short coming LoL. Thanks, I look forward to seeing if I can improve my skills.

Companies selling large equipment (think CNC lasers, etc) have started using them for troubleshooting by the customer with good initial results. It reduces the number of site visits a tech has to make and gets the customer back running faster.

My coworker brought in his virtual reality setup and we presented it to the office during lunch on Friday. Prior to lunch people were curious about the VR, asking questions and trying to not appear too excited to try it out, but they couldn't hide their excitement once they were strapped in. Cris is the last person who still needs to try VR - he was out of the office Friday. If things go well then we'll present it to him this week.

My coworker brought in his virtual reality setup and we presented it to the office during lunch on Friday. Prior to lunch people were curious about the VR, asking questions and trying to not appear too excited to try it out, but they couldn't hide their excitement once they were strapped in. Cris is the last person who still needs to try VR - he was out of the office Friday. If things go well then we'll present it to him this week.